


For you and I~

by C_A_T_M



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aged down levi, Anyways, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hot rubbish, I love Levi, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Titan Shifters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 08:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17018916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_A_T_M/pseuds/C_A_T_M
Summary: It was sick how in a world with nothing but misery, soulmates existed. And hers lay within someone unlikely.





	For you and I~

For a world where there was supposed to be happiness - eternal love that conquered all, reality was nothing if not sad and upsetting. 

That was the true nature of the world they lived in, the hundred of lives being lost from starvation, or rather ironically, becoming the food. At this point, it wasn't uncommon for one's soulmate to have died before ever meeting their other half. Yet no matter how tragic, people had to accept it. 

Sometimes she did wonder why she had joined the Survey Corps, asking herself why she would willingly put herself through such inner turmoil, and before always reaching the final conclusion that it was for herself.

In the front lines fighting titans was where she belonged, even if her life could leave her with one badly aimed shot of her gear, or fumbling swipe of a titans hand. Even though she would hate to never meet her soulmate, to leave them alone in a world so cruel, she couldn't have forced herself to remain away, hidden from the battle between humanity and the titans. Every person counted and everything effort she made put them one step closer to a world of freedom. 

It was really a choice between sustainability or her own personal happiness, and as much as she was selfish, this was one thing decision she wouldn't let self presentation infringe upon. 

"Hey, Reese found his soulmate," announced a fellow cadet a few feet say from her, chattering excitedly to their friend as they walked by, "a really cute boy in the village. They both saw the rose on their collarbone." 

Despite the fact that she couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, she was happy for him. Another person has found their other half, she hoped he would lead a long and happy life with his soulmate.

Turning on her heels, dirt flying with every step she took, heading back inside headquarters with a soft smile that hadn't been there before. 

* * *

Familiar grey coloured walls stretched into long hallways, the clicking of her boots echoing as she made her way to the dorms. Everyone had headed off to lunch but she was tired and in need of a shower, right now there would be no one to walk in and interrupt her. 

For once her hunger wasn't striking, probably to do with the fact that she had come from the market a little while earlier with a few apples and oranges, making sure to store a few and eat the others before Sasha caught their scent. 

As she stripped off her clothing and grabbed the soap and shampoo, her eyes couldn't help but graze over her own soulmate mark. The rather large yet intricate image shimmered from the light hitting the thin layer of water. 

It was positioned just below her breasts, spreading across her ribcage and ending just above her belly button in splatters of black and blue. It seemed to be a compass, blue streaks laying under it and black 'paint splatters' decorating the top right corner. The compass itself wasn't created too thickness, thin lines used to mark the points and the rim, the fragility highlighted perfectly within the structure.

Due to where it was placed, many hadn't seen her mark and she would have a hard time finding spotting her soulmate's too. Only Mikasa had seen the mark, walking in on her undressing one day and spotting the colours across her torso. 

Thankfully, Mikasa had known not to ask whether or not she had found them, the topic not brought up unless one of them actually spoke up about it. 

Fingers slide over the slick skin, tracing the lines of the mark before a sigh passed her lips, the moisture on them licked off instinctively. There was no time to be dwelling on something as trivial as soulmates, she was in the Survey Corps for goodness sake! 

With wrinkled skin and sopping wet hair, she stepped out and changed into cleaner clothes, returning back to her prim and proper soldier state easily and naturally. 

And by the time that she has finally finished everything, lunch has ended and it was now time to head over to the courtyard for hand to hand combat - her favourite… 

It wasn't that she was bad at the activity, more so that she wasn't confident. Up in the air and zipping through the trees was where she felt more at ease, more at home. While hand to hand felt more like trying to fumble around with her limbs that wouldn't cooperate.

Praying that Hanji would be the one to supervise, her prayers were promptly spat on and shoved into a fire once she spotted the one person she really didn't want. 

Lance Fucking Corporal Levi. 

The man notorious for being a hard arse that took no one's shit. The man who could make even grown adults cower in fear from a single glare. The man she respected but also was slightly intimidated by.

He was the one overseeing their progress. 

'Damn it.' 

Hurrying into line, standing beside Armin who looked as nervous as she felt, her back straightened and her hands went into a perfect salute. The last thing she needed was to be scrutinised by the devil himself.

Levi, despite his short stature, stood imposingly. His arms lay crossed over his chest, silver eyes as sharp as ever, almost glimmering in the sunlight. No matter how stoic his visage remained, his eyes gave away every inch of emotion he was feeling, the mist around his iris' always important in finding tell tale signs of his mood. 

Right now, they seemed to be neutral, nothing too strong swirling within his hues. 

They flickered over the line, taking in all of the soldiers before stopping dead in the middle, almost scrutinising before moving on. "For some reason you think you can slack off in hand to hand combat. I'm here to tell you that you damn well can't," he looked over the crowd once more, almost daring someone to reject his words, "from now on, I'll be supervising and I will not tolerate any stupidity. Anyone who thinks they can get away with anything below their best will be breaking their fucking backs in the stables, and I'll make sure of that." 

She could almost feel the nerves radiate off of everyone, the air thick as they all nodded and bellowed a 'yes sir!' 

"Just to make sure that you're not shitting around, I will pick one of you to test your skills against me," heads turned to each other, eyebrows shooting upwards and mumbles of terror causing a ripple through the once impenetrable silence, "and I won't hold back." 

With those five words, everyone had become quiet once more. 

 

"Your partners have been decided already. No complaining or you'll answer to me." And complain did no one, too afraid over getting their arses handed to them in the dirt, she was also included in that demographic.

The partners had been written down in a notebook, everyone practically scrambling towards it to try and find their partner, desperately not to irritate the senior. 

Ymir was her partner and she wasn't complaining, if anything it was good that she had gotten Ymir. The two weren't on best friend's level, but close enough to warrant playful teasing.  

"So dumbass, ready to get your ass kicked?" Chuckling at her partners confident and rather cocky approach, her head tilted and she nodded. 

"Sure. Go ahead." Pulling her arms and legs into position, she watched Ymir carefully, calculating every movement right up until she lunged, careful to avoid the punch aimed for the bridge of her nose. "You got better at moving out of the way."

"Hm," her fist landed just centimeters away from Ymir's stomach, "I think so too." 

The dance of dangerous tango carried on, each of them lunging and aiming dangerously precise and powerful kicks that cause serious damage. She could almost classify this as having fun (if you ignored how Ymir was forevermore distracted by the sight of Krista behind her.)

"For god's sake, stare at your girlfriend later," the splutter that came gave her enough time to grab Ymir's wrist and flip her over her shoulder, bending her arm so that it pinned her in place. "I win." 

"That's cheating," grumbled the freckled brunette with an obviously wounded pride, "you used Krista as a distraction."

"Boo fucking hoo." Removing her hold, she was brushing off the dirt and grime off of her jeans while standing up. However the stunned and slightly scared expressions emerging from the people staring at her, confused her greatly. It wasn't until she read Eren's lips that she realised that he was mouthing 'watch out'.

Even Ymir seemed to have backed away, gently rubbing her shoulders with an almost apologetic look in her eyes. 

'What the hell?' Turning around, she was fully aware of the exact reason why everyone was backing away slowly, Levi. 

Walking in that self assured manner of his, boots immaculate despite the dust creating a aminute storm around his feet, he stopped just a few inches in front of her face. 

Damn, just why did he have to be so needlessly terrifying?

"(l/n)," the authoritative tone send shivers down her spine, "I've picked you. Get into position." 

As much as she would have liked to refuse and run straight inside, he was her superior and that meant his word was law. No one would dare to interfere either (except maybe Mikasa if she felt like there was a true injustice going on), she was left to her own fate of dying from humiliation on the floor. 

Fellow soldiers gathered around, forming a circle around the duo as she hesitantly got into her starting position, making sure to analyse his own beginning stance. Everyone already knew who the victor was going to be, but there was no harm in trying. 

She just hoped she wouldn't end up 6ft under from this. Dying because she couldn't handle a beating from a midget's boots was not the way she wanted to die, or be remembered for that mattered.

Tension was thick, her stomach churning as his ever bold hues bore into her own, almost beconing her to fall to the floor and play dead; to spare her the misery of being beaten black and blue.

But she didn't, and instead he ended up faking a a lunge while she fell for the bait almost instantly.

Levi's movements were sharp and precise, not even a millisecond of edge way between them. She stood no chance.

No matter how much she punched or attempted to kick, she didn't even graze him. However, miraculously she hadn't been touched either, the only dishevelled item on her was her messy white shirt that had become untucked.

Breaths were held and the soft murmuring of the crowd wasn't helping her nerves, yet he looked as though he had never lifted a finger. It was enviable how at ease he looked.

The entire thing was slowly becoming a drag and she found herself wanting to end the duel quickly. Aiming straight for his still body, she twisted halfway and managed, by the smallest of margins, to grab his shirt. Sheer adrenaline pumped through her veins as she realised she had caught him, and within a second she had him floored. 

Gasps rang throughout, and to be quite honest, she was gasping right alongside them. Nonetheless, in a fashion that was very familiar for someone like him, he had grabbed her ankle on the way down and had used his own momentum to throw her down too.

This move wouldn't have been enough to send her out of the fight normally, but since a particularly sharp piece of rock had happened to be lying in wait for her fall, digging straight into her ribs and effectively stabbing her, it wasn't too silly to assume that she wouldn't be standing up. At least not with the pool of blood that was quick to form, drenching the dry earth underneath her.

"Holy shit!" The pained exclamation tumbled past her lips before she could stop it, hand reaching for the wound that was at least half the size of her hand, the rock still lodged neatly inside.

Red stained her hand, her breathing become ragged quickly as she tried to sit up, struggling to move with the sharp object still inside her. It looked like it had been lodged at least an inch deep.

Blurriness overtook her vision, pain induced tears filling up her eyes quickly as shouts of concern blew up the courtyard, the sunlight quickly blocked out with people clambering to get to her side. 

"Fuck, are you okay? Can you speak?" Eren's voice floated in her head, a soft nod all she could manage, her hand lifting to try and push herself up.

"Move out of the way." Soldiers parted like the red sea, moving aside to let the Corporal in. Even with her vision hazy, and breath harsh, his face remained clear, almost a beacon of security. "Let me see the wound," it wasn't a very forceful order, giving her room to refuse if she felt uncomfortable, but she lifted her shirt up nonetheless. 

Muttering something under his breath, his arms slipped under her back and knees, pulling her up. The position was rather awkward with her being a few inches taller than himself, but Levi showed no signs of being bothered by the difference. 

Dozens of eyes followed the pair until they disappeared from view, whispers breaking out a few seconds after in a manner not unlike that of gossiping teenagers in schools. 

"She does have a soulmate mark, huh. Here I was thinking the girl didn't have one," Ymir commented, almost sounding surprised at the prospect. 

Jean blinked, only now tearing away her eyes from the long gone duo. "I've seen her mark before, it's the same as -"

"Lance Corporal Levi's." Armin finished, everyone's minds whirring at the realisation.

(y/n) (l/n)'s soulmate was Levi Ackerman.

* * *

 

For the third time in his life, Levi felt helpless. The tattoo that was so neatly ingrained into her skin was one that rang alarm bells. 

The exact same design was printed in his own torso. Something that had once given him so many sleepless nights wondering whether or not he would ever find them, or if he was worthy of their affection in such a loveless world, and there they were; in his arms bleeding because of a wound he had involuntarily inflicted.

 He was as big of a fool as he was strong. 

There always had been a strange attraction he had felt towards her, the not too abrasive yet outspoken female who dominated the air.

Levi was many things but he was not ignorant nor blind, he would have had to have blind and stupid not to see how gracefully she flitted through the air, on par and maybe even surpassing Jean. 

Perhaps that's what had left for his slightly increased interest, consequently leading to him picking her for the fight. Though now he was slightly regretting it. 

Opening up the door to the infirmary, the nurses and doctors stared up at him almost immediately, spotting the wounded female in record time and ushering him over to a spare whitewashed bed. Msheets, stomach twisting uncomfortably with the unobscured view of both her mark and injury.

"Sir, do you know how she got this wound?" One of the younger looking nurses addressed him, snapping him out of his trance.

"Yes, we were practicing hand to hand combat and one of the moves had sent her to the ground where the rock was." Fully ready to take the entirety of the blame, he could only internally sign in relief once the nurse nodded in acceptance, moving away to grab the anaesthetic to begin the removal process.

Her palm extended, reaching out to grab onto someone's hand for security (a habit of hers he had noticed, something which she always satiated with either Armin or Mikasa.) As much ss he would have liked to lace his own twitching fingers with hers, he was still the Corporal, and no soulmate was going to get in the way of that.

* * *

 

Or maybe they were. 

He should have expected the change that would come, and he was to an extent. Rumours had flew as quickly as the fall of Wall Maria, cadets whispering among themselves whenever hr walked past. More than often he would ignore them, leaving them to their childish ways, but other times he would snap and bark out and aggressive 'is there something you would like to discuss?'

She had gotten out of the infirmary, but was still prohibited from doing any strenuous activities until further notice. Once or twice she was spotted with Hanji carrying stacks of paper or delivering things like a messenger. 

And obviously, every time he had seen her, he had avoided her like the plague, only talking to her if it was absolutely necessary. For a 25 year old man, he sure acted nothing like it. It was a silly thing to do and he knew it, but he wasn't ready to face reality. The reality that she was the one made for him.

It just didn't make sense, and he didn't give a shit about things that didn't make sense.

Scribbling down his signature on yet another sheet of paper, a knock on the door drew him out of his furious jotting."State your name and business." 

A shuffled commenced on the other side, the sounds of boots scuffling against the floor slightly muffled. "Cadet (l/n), Sir. Squad Leader Hanji has sent me with some documents that require your approval." Damn, just the person he was trying to avoid. 

Almost contemplating rejecting her and turning her away, the rational part of him blurted out the "come in." 

Door handle moving downstairs, it opened noiselessly and allowed the female to walk in, shutting the door with the heel of her foot. "Where would you like me to put them, Sir?" 

"On the desk." Obeying his order, the documents were placed neatly next to his arm. However. instead of leaving, she stood there. He noticed this very quickly, waiting a few seconds expectantly until he realised that she wasn't budging. "Is there something you need?"

For someone who was rarely ever blank, the complete lack of emotions on her face was unnerving. Hard and honest eyes drilled into him, the gaze stubborn and unmoving. 

"Are you my soulmate?" The pen he had been writing stopped moving, dead still in its tracks as he dare not lift his head. He didn't want to face this, not now. "Captain Levi," cold and commanding, "are you my soulmate?"

Utensil falling against the paper, he too looked up at her with no expression, too proud to admit anything. "Cadet, are you aware of the nature of the question you are asking me?" Even if the intention of his question was to try and intimidate her, she looked unimpressed, almost irritated.

"Captain Levi, I am very aware of the nature of the question. But I'm not sure if you are understanding me," with an expression that showed that she meant business, her upper body leant forwards until she was only a foot away from his face, "I am asking you whether or not you have the same mark as me." 

The absolute last thing he had been expecting her to do was purposely lift her shirt, exposing the entirety of her torso and the heart wrenchingly familiar mark etched into her skin.

"I am asking you, Captain, if you have this compass on your skin. I'm not blind nor stupid, Corporal, I have heard people discussing this topic as if it was any of their concern and I was conscious during my injury." His fingers flexed and he could feel his palms growing sweaty under her smouldering stare.

Shirt finally pulled back down, she gave him one last hard look before turning on her heels. "I guess I was wrong in thinking that you were the one, wasn't I? I will see myself out, I'm very sorry for bothering you. Have a good day, Sir." Her voice was nothing of not level, no waiver or show of any sort of emotion. 

She began to make her way to the door, her body almost out of the doorway when he finally gathered enough energy to talk.

"I am your soulmate." He could see her hand tighten on the handle and he knew he was a complete fucking idiot. "I _am_ your soulmate " He asserted, a little more force in his tone.

Slipping closed, the door shut and she spun around to see him stood up. Shirt lifting, the mark that was so unique hers was mirrored on his pale, yet sculpted flesh. Each stroke unmistakably the same, even down to the last ink splatter. There was no doubt in either of their minds that they were the same.

"You're my soulmate," it was spoken softly, almost like it was an illusion ready to be shattered at the slightest of volume, "you're **my** soulmate."

He nodded. 

In a world where love was almost always met with tragedy, they had both found themselves faced with what they didn't believe they deserved. The ache in their chests that had once just been ignored was now soothed, dulled until the throbbing was but a faint memory..

Solace and peace was all they knew as they looked at eachother, even if for only a few precious moments before the world turned back into the horror they knew it to be.


End file.
